It's a matchup of two teams having identical seasons in the Big 12 when Texas visits BYU at the Mariott Center. Both teams are sporting a 14-5 record overall but sit in the bottom half of the conference standings. A loss for either team on Saturday will send them into a troublesome place in the Big 12 race. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a Texas-BYU prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Texas began their Big 12 schedule by losing three of their first four games, but two consecutive wins over Oklahoma and Baylor have helped them climb the standings. The Longhorns sit in a tie for seventh place with four other teams but will put themselves in a good place with a win. All eight teams ahead of Texas in the Big 12 standings are playing against each other on Saturday, which guarantees that a win will help gain a lot of ground.
BYU's non-conference schedule is integral to their 14-5 record. However, they've been brought back to earth by their conference play. BYU lost their first two Big 12 games against Baylor and Cincinnati before pulling off wins over UCF and Iowa State. They failed to capitalize on that momentum, losing two straight games to Texas Tech and Houston to earn their 2-4 record. BYU is 10-2 at the Mariott Center, with both losses in their conference schedule.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Texas-BYU Odds
Texas: +7 (-110)
Moneyline: (+210)
BYU: -7 (-110)
Moneyline: (-260)
Over: 150.5 (-110)
Under: 150.5 (-110)
How to Watch Texas vs. BYU
Time: 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Texas Will Cover The Spread/Win
BYU has shown they may not be ready to compete in the Big 12 in their first season since realignment. They were 12-1 before conference play but are 2-4 since. They've also failed to cover the spread in five of six games. BYU was 11-2 against the spread in non-conference play, showing that they were better than many expected, but they still aren't up to competing in the Big 12.
BYU's defense is ranked 37th nationally in scoring defense, but their numbers are skewed by their non-conference schedule. They allow 65.4 points per game this season, but in six conference games, they've allowed 73.7. The same can be said for BYU's 16th-ranked offense. Their scoring average this season is 84.4, but only 71.3 in the conference games. Texas is 105th in scoring offense, averaging 77.1 points per game, and 77th in scoring defense, allowing 67.0 points, and is close to maintaining those averages through conference play. The numbers say that people will undervalue the Longhorns this game and overvalue the Cougars.
Why BYU Will Cover The Spread/Win
BYU has shown they can compete with the powers of the Big 12. Iowa State is 48th in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense, but the Cougars pulled off an 87-72 upset over them at home. Ignoring the rest of the statistics pointing you toward Texas is intimidating, but don't be surprised if the Cougars can pull it off.
Final Texas-BYU Prediction & Pick
BYU's success this season is false hope from their non-conference schedule. They rank in the top 100 on both ends of the court, but their numbers take a hit when they play against conference opponents. Their against-the-spread record is 12-7, which would tell you they are a good play regardless of whether they win or lose. However, they are 1-5 on the spread against conference opponents. Their home record is a near-perfect 10-2, but they were 9-0 before Big 12 play began and just 1-2 since then. There is a lot on the line for the Longhorns here, with all the teams in front of them in the standings playing against each other on Saturday. The Longhorns will be ready to pull off the victory over an over-valued BYU.
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Final Texas-BYU Prediction & Pick: Texas ML (+210)
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